Puzzle.



A. S. POTTEIGER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1910. RENEWED APR. 11, 1912.

1 044 241. Patented Nov. 12,1912.

ALBERT S. POTTEIGER, OF READING,. PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application filed June 27, 1910, Serial No. 569,103. Renewed April 11,1912. Serial No. 690,044.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. POTTEIGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to toy puzzles or games that comprise aboard having an outer intact Wall and inner walled pens having gatewaysand balls adapted to be rolled about on the board by skilfulmanipulation of the board to roll certain of the balls into certaininclosu'res or pens in certain order.

My invention has for its object the provision of a board and pens 0fpeculiar form and arrangement that adapts them to re-' quire ornecessitate a novel manipulation of the board to get the balls in aparticular inclosure, all as is clearly illustrated in the annexeddrawings forming a, part of this specification.

I will first describe the invention, in em tenso, in view of the saiddrawings, and subsequently point out the same with particularity in thesubjoined claims.

Of the said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of the board of my improved toypuzzle with the balls thereon. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of thesame.

Similar figures of reference designate similar parts or features, as thecase may be, wherever they occur.

The fanciful idea involved in the toy game is that the balls 10 arecattle that at first are at large in the general runs 11 inclosed by theouter wall 12, which is a vertical flange of sheet metal or othermaterial extending intact around the margin of the board. The firstthing to be accomplished is to get the four groups of cattle distinguished by the colors of the balls, into their respective pens, 13, 14,15 and 16, consisting of substantially triangularly-shaped inclosuresarranged about a centrally disposed inclosure 17 each inclosure having agateway 18 through which the balls (cattle) may pass. The said gatewayto each triangular pen is located in the walls on the inner sides wherethey approach nearest to the central circular inclosure. From the pensthe cattle are to be taken out one by one and driven through the gatewayof the central inclosure, called the slaughter-house, and killed, bygetting them into the concaved recesses 19 formed in the bottom of theboard within the wall of the central inclosure or pen.

There will be twelve balls employed in the practice of the toy puzzle,as herein shown, and they will be divided into four groups of threeeach, colored, respectively, red, white, blue and black. All of thewalls will consist of'fianges such as has been eX- plained withreference to the wall 12, and the walls may be colored in accordancewith the color of the balls (cattle) in their respective pens. The endsof the walls at the gateways may be curved inward, as at 20, to preventthe easy escape of balls once driven into their pens. This, whiledesirable is not essential. I The central pen only will be provided withthe concaved recesses in its bottom.

The rules for employing the toy may be widely varied but as indicatinthe use of the invention and one way of employing it for recreation andpass-time is as follows: The player places the twelve balls, which aretermed cattle, as before stated, and are colored, as explained, on thegeneral run 11, within the wall 12. He then proceeds to drive them, oneby one, and group after group, in the order named, into their respectivepens, through the driveways 21 and gateways 20 into their respectiveinclosures by changing the inclination of the board and rolling theballs accordingly. The cattle are to be penned by manipulation of theboard alone, and each animal must be put in the pen assigned to it.After the cattle have all been driven into their rightful pens, theplayer proceeds to take them out one by one and drive (roll the balls)into the central inclosure 17 and get them into the recesses 19. Thelatter may or may not be colored in accordance with the color of theballs, this matter depending upon whether it isdesired to make the gameeasy or ditficult of performance. Once the cattle have been. taken fromtheir pens and killed by getting them into their rightful recesses 19 inthe central pen, the puzzle will be considered as solved or ended.

As has been stated, the rules for the practice of the invention and theform and ar-- rangement of the partitions may be varied to suit fanciesor desires without departing from the general nature or spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is 1. A toy puzzle consisting of a board having an outerintact wall, a central walled inclosure, of circular form, provided witha gateway through its wall, and having concaved recesses in its bottom,and triangularly formed walled pens surrounding the central inclosure,each provided with a gateway in its wall where it approaches nearest tothe central inclosure, combined with a pfiurality of balls in numberagreeing with t e number of concaved recesses in the central inclosure,the said balls being divided into four groups, each group beingdifferently colored from each and every other group.

2. In a device of the class described, a board, a wall fixed to themarginal edge of said board, a circular walled inclosure locatedcentrally of the board, and having a gateway therein the ends of thewall adjacent said gateway being curved outwa rally, said board beingprovided with a plural ty of pockets within said central inclosure and aplurality of walled inclosures arranged at intervals concentrically withrespect to said central inclosures and provided with gateways adjacentsaid central inclosures, the ends of the walls of said inclosurcsadjacent said gateways being curved inwardly.

3. In a device of the class described, a

inclosures being all toward the center of the board and the gateway ofthe central inclosure opening in alinement with one of the passage ways.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ALBERT S. POTTEIGER. Witnesses WARREN KocHnL, L. VARREN LEISS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

